Assistant U.S. Attorney will lead election security for Missouri’s western district

The federal government’s preparing plans to ensure the state has free and safe elections next month.

Missouri western district Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Daly will oversee that portion of the state under the Justice Department’s Election Day Program.

Daily’s charged with handling complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses. Federal law prohibits intimidating or bribing voters, buying or selling votes and impersonating voters. It also forbids fraud in the form of altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes or marking ballots for voters against their wishes.

Daly can be reached on election day while the polls are open at 816-426-3000.

The Justice Department’s Election Day efforts are handled through its Civil Rights and Criminal divisions. In addition to the U.S. Attorney’s office, the FBI will have special agents handling Election Day issues across the country. Possible election crimes can be reported to the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office’s toll-free hotline, 1-855-527-2847.

The U.S. Attorney’s office for the eastern district of Missouri will announce its plans for election day next week. Eastern district U.S. Atorney Richard Callahan says he’ll have two attorneys manning a hotline. It’ll be open while the polls are open 6 a.m.-7 p.m.